Enhanced Fiber Nodes with Cmts Capability

1. A fiber node in a hybrid fiber-coax network (HFCN) located between an upstream facility and a plurality of cable modems, comprising: a cable modem termination system (CMTS) comprising: a transmitter to transmit data to the cable modems as downstream analog radio frequency (RF) signals over a plurality of downstream channels, a receiver to receive upstream analog RF signals from the cable modems over a plurality of upstream channels and extract data from the upstream analog RF signals, and a processor, connected to the transmitter and the receiver, to: provide the data to the transmitter, receive the extracted data from the receiver and send the extracted data to the upstream facility, dynamically allocate a downstream channel of the plurality of downstream channels to a downstream network path for transmitting the data or an upstream channel of the plurality of upstream channels to an upstream network path for receiving the data by compressing, merging, and packet transmitting data over the downstream network path or the upstream network path, isolate multiple ones of the upstream channels, less than all of the upstream channels, and combine the extracted data from the isolated upstream channels for digital transmission to the upstream facility, where at least one of the isolated upstream channels is unrelated in function or frequency to at least one other isolated upstream channel.

2. The fiber node of claim 1 , where the transmitter includes a plurality of modulators, where each of the modulators corresponds to one of the plurality of downstream channels.

3. The fiber node of claim 1 , where the receiver includes a plurality of demodulators, where each of the demodulators corresponds to one of the plurality of upstream channels.

4. The fiber node of claim 1 , where the CMTS is to communicate with the upstream facility via a packet network.

5. The fiber node of claim 1 , where the CMTS is to communicate data and control signals with the upstream facility via an Ethernet-compatible packet network.

6. The fiber node of claim 1 , where the processor is to compress and merge the extracted data from multiple ones of the cable modems before sending the extracted data to the upstream facility.

7. The fiber node of claim 1 , where the CMTS is to send data associated with one of the upstream channels to the upstream facility without extracting the data associated with the one upstream channel.

8. The fiber node of claim 7 , where the CMTS is to transmit the data associated with the one upstream channel via a tunnel to the upstream facility.

9. The fiber node of claim 1 , where the upstream facility includes an upstream hub or an upstream head end.

10. The fiber node of claim 1 , where the CMTS is to determine that there is a problem associated with one of the upstream channels or one of the downstream channels.

11. The fiber node of claim 10 , where the CMTS is further to scan a spectrum associated with the one upstream channel or the one downstream channel in real time to identify a part of the spectrum that is free of the problem.

12. The fiber node of claim 10 , where the CMTS is further to resize the one upstream channel or the one downstream channel based on determining the problem.

13. The fiber node of claim 10 , where the CMTS is further to dynamically increase or decrease bandwidth associated with the one upstream channel or the one downstream channel based on determining the problem.

14. The fiber node of claim 10 , where the CMTS is further to move the one upstream channel or the one downstream channel to a new frequency based on determining the problem.

15. The fiber node of claim 10 , where the CMTS is further to allocate an additional upstream channel or an additional downstream channel based on determining the problem.

16. The fiber node of claim 10 , where the CMTS is further to move one or more of the cable modems associated with the one upstream channel or the one downstream channel to another one of the upstream channels or another one of the downstream channels without registering the moved one or more cable modems based on determining the problem.

17. A fiber node in a hybrid fiber-coax network (HFCN) located between an upstream facility and a plurality of cable modems, comprising: a cable modem termination system (CMTS) comprising: means for transmitting data to the cable modems as downstream analog radio frequency (RF) signals over a plurality of downstream channels, means for receiving upstream analog RF signals from the cable modems over a plurality of upstream channels and extracting data from the upstream analog RF signals, means for dynamically allocating a downstream channel of the plurality of downstream channels to a downstream network path for transmitting the data or an upstream channel of the plurality of upstream channels to an upstream network path for receiving the data by compressing, merging, and packet transmitting data over the downstream network path or the upstream network path, means for isolating multiple ones of the upstream channels, a number of the isolated upstream channels being less than all of the upstream channels, and means for combining the extracted data from the isolated upstream channels for digital transmission to the upstream facility, where at least one of the isolated upstream channels is unrelated in function or frequency to at least one other one of the isolated upstream channels.

18. The fiber node of claim 17 , where the means for transmitting data includes a plurality of modulators, where each of the modulators corresponds to one of the downstream channels.

19. The fiber node of claim 17 , where the means for receiving upstream analog RF signals includes a plurality of demodulators, where each of the demodulators corresponds to one of the upstream channels.

20. The fiber node of claim 17 , where the CMTS further comprises means for communicating with the upstream facility via a packet network.

21. The fiber node of claim 17 , where the CMTS further comprises means for communicating data and control signals with the upstream facility via an Ethernet-compatible packet network.

22. The fiber node of claim 17 , where the CMTS further comprises means for sending data associated with one of the upstream channels to the upstream facility without extracting the data associated with the one upstream channel.

23. The fiber node of claim 22 , where the means for sending data associated with one of the upstream channels comprises means for transmitting the data associated with the one upstream channel via a tunnel to the upstream facility.

24. The fiber node of claim 17 , where the upstream facility includes an upstream hub or an upstream head end.

25. The fiber node of claim 17 , where the CMTS further comprises means for determining that there is a problem associated with one of the upstream channels or one of the downstream channels.

26. The fiber node of claim 25 , where the CMTS further comprises means for scanning a spectrum associated with the one upstream channel or the one downstream channel in real time to identify a part of the spectrum that is free of the problem.

27. The fiber node of claim 25 , where the CMTS further comprises means for resizing the one upstream channel or the one downstream channel based on determining the problem.

28. The fiber node of claim 25 , where the CMTS further comprises means for dynamically increasing or decreasing bandwidth associated with the one upstream channel or the one downstream channel based on determining the problem.

29. The fiber node of claim 25 , where the CMTS further comprises means for moving the one upstream channel or the one downstream channel to a new frequency based on determining the problem.

30. The fiber node of claim 25 , where the CMTS further comprises means for allocating an additional upstream channel or an additional downstream channel based on determining the problem.

31. The fiber node of claim 25 , where the CMTS further comprises means for moving one or more of the cable modems associated with the one upstream channel or the one downstream channel to another one of the upstream channels or another one of the downstream channels without registering the moved one or more cable modems based on determining the problem.

32. A hybrid fiber-coax network, comprising: a cable system head end; and a plurality of fiber nodes connected between a plurality of cable modems and the cable system head end, at least one of the fiber nodes comprising: a transmitter to transmit data to the plurality of cable modems over a plurality of downstream channels, a receiver to receive upstream signals from the plurality of cable modems over a plurality of upstream channels and extract data from the upstream signals, and a processor, connected to the transmitter and the receiver, to: provide the data to the transmitter, receive the extracted data from the receiver and send the extracted data to the cable system head end, dynamically assign or configure a downstream channel of the plurality of downstream channels to a downstream network path for transmitting the data or an upstream channel of the plurality of upstream channels to an upstream network path for receiving the data by compressing, merging, and packet transmitting data over the downstream network path or the upstream network path, isolate multiple ones of the upstream channels, less than all of the upstream channels, and combine the extracted data from the isolated upstream channels for digital transmission to the upstream facility, where at least one of the isolated upstream channels is unrelated in function or frequency to at least one other isolated upstream channel.